Morphology and Distribution of Rhynchocalamus Melanocephalus Saturimi (NIKOLSKY, 1899) in Turkey

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Digitale Literatur/Digital Literature

Zeitschrift/Journal: Herpetozoa

Jahr/Year: 2007

Band/Volume: 20_1_2

Autor(en)/Author(s): Avci Aziz, Ilgaz Cetin, Kumlutas Yusuf, Olgun Kurtulus, Baran Ibrahim

Artikel/Article: Morphology and distribution of Rhynchocalamus melanocephalus satunini (Nikolsky, 1899) in Turkey 82-86 ©Österreichische Gesellschaft für Herpetologie e.V., Wien, Austria, download unter www.biologiezentrum.at

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REFERENCES: GASC, J.-P. & CABELA, A. & CRNOBRNJA-ISAILOVIC, J. & DOLMEN, D. & GROSSEN- BACHER, K. & HAFFNER, P. & LESCURE, J. & MARTENS, H. & MARTÌNEZ, J. P. & MAURJN, H. & OLI VERA, M. E. & SOFIANIDOU, T. S. & VEITH, M. & ZUIDERWIJK, A. (1997): Atlas of amphibians and reptiles in Europe; Societas Europaea Herpetologica, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris: pp 496. HAAN, C. C. VAN (1999): Malpolon monspessulanus (HERMANN, 1804) - Europäische Eidechsennatter; pp. 661-756. In: BÖHME, W. (Ed.): Handbuch der Reptilien und Amphibien Eu- ropas. Schlangen (Serpentes) II. Wiebeisheim (Aula- Verlag). KEY WORDS: Reptilia: Squamata: Serpentes: Colubridae: Malpolon monspessulanus; Corsica; France distribution; first record, new island record SUBMITTED: December 04, 2006 AUTHORS: Günther KÖHLER, Georg HANTKE, Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Senckenberg, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt a. M., Germany

Morphology and distribution of Rhynchocalamus melanocephalus saturimi (NIKOLSKY, 1899) in Turkey

The Middle East genus Rhynchocala- mus includes three species: Rhynchocala- Fig. 2. Head scalation of Malpolon monspessulanus mus arabicus SCHMIDT, 1933, Aden Kukri (SMF 86351), drawn from the snake slough. Snake, is only known from Aden (terra typ- Scale bar = 5 mm. ica) in South Yemen (SCHMIDT 1933). Rhyn- chocalamus melanocephalus (JAN, 1862), Palestine Kukri Snake, lives in Egypt, Jor- institut und Naturmuseum Senckenberg, dan, Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Frankfurt a. M., Germany. It is a complete Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey (REED & and intact skin shedding with a total length MARX 1959; DAREVSKY 1970; GASPERETTI of 181 cm (snout-vent length 143.5 cm) with 1988; WERNER 1988; LATIFI 1991; LEVITON the following pholidotic characteristics: two et al. 1992; ENGELMANN et al. 1993; FRAN- loreal scales; one large preocular scale that ZEN & BISCHOFF 1995). Rhynchocalamus reaches on top of head; a very elongate melanocephalus satunini (NIKOLSKY, 1899) frontal scale (Fig. 2); 169 ventral scales; 84 was the only representative of the Genus pairs of subcaudal scales; dorsal scales con- known from Turkey (south and southeast cave, arranged in 19 longitudinal rows at Anatolia - BODENHEIMER 1944; EISELT midbody and in 16 one head length anterior 1970; BARAN 1976, 1980; BASOGLU & BARAN to the cloaca. Considering that the longitu- 1980; BARAN & ATATÜR 1998) until FRAN- dinal extension of complete sloughs usually ZEN & BISCHOFF (1995) found a specimen of surpasses the length of the live animals by R. melanocephalus from 20 km south of 10-20% this snake actually had a total length Harbiye, Hatay which they assigned to the of about 150-165 cm. These data agree well nominate subspecies R. m. melanocephalus with published data on the morphology of (JAN, 1862). Currently a new Rhynchocala- M. monspessulanus (HAAN 1999) and ex- mus species (R. barani) is being described clude any other species of snake from con- from Amanos Mountain Range, eastern sideration. Three other species of snakes Mediterranean region of Turkey (OLGUN et have been reported from Corsica (GASC et al. al. 2007). 1997): Coluber viridiflavus LACÉPÈDE, 1789; The present paper includes the pholi- Natrix maura (LINNAEUS, 1758); and Natrix dosis characters, morphometric measure- (LINNAEUS, 1758). ments and color-pattern features of four R. ©Österreichische Gesellschaft für Herpetologie e.V., Wien, Austria, download unter www.biologiezentrum.at

SHORTNOTE HERPETOZOA 20 (1/2) Wien, 30. Juli 2007 SHORT NOTE 83

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Fig. 1 : Distribution of Rhynchocalamus melanocephalus satunini (NIKOLSKY, 1899) in southeastern Anatolia, Turkey, showing the known distribution according to the literature ( A ), and the new records ( • ). 1 - Adana, 2 - Nurdagi/Gaziantep, 3 - 4 km W Çambayat/Adiyaman, 4 - 15 km NE Dogans,ehir/Malatya, 5-3 km S Çelikhan/Adiyaman, 6 - Cüngüs/Diyarbakir, 7 - Cimenlik-Ömerli/Mardin, 8-20 km S Cizre/S,irnak. Data from BAÇOÛLU & BARAN (1980) and FRANZEN & BISCHOFF (1995).

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Hg. 2: Rhynchocalamus melanocephalus satunini (NlKOLSKY, 1899). ZDBU 125/2006 from Nurdagi, Gaziantep, Turkey (dorsal view). ©Österreichische Gesellschaft für Herpetologie e.V., Wien, Austria, download unter www.biologiezentrum.at

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Table 1 : Pholidosis features and morphometric m. satunini specimens collected from local- measurements (in mm) of four Rhynchocalamus mela- ities outside of the known Turkish range nocephalus satunini (NIKOLSKY, 1899) specimens captured in southeastern Anatolia. 1 - Sex; 2 - Loreais area of R. m. satunini. The specimens were (left-right; 3 - Preoculars (left-right); 4 - Postoculars captured in southeastern Anatolia in 2005 and (left-right); 5 - Temporals (left-right); 6 - Posttempo- 2006 (Fig. 1). They were kept in the Zoology rals (left-right); 7 - Supralabials (left-right); 8 - Sub- Laboratory of the Department of Biology at labials (left-right); 9 - Gular scales surrounding the last sublabials (left-right); 10 - Gular scales in a row be- the Science and Arts Faculty, Adnan Men- tween posterior infralabials; 11 - Dorsal plus temporal deres University and later incorporated into scales surrounding the posterior margin of the parietals; the collection of the Zoology Department, 12 - Ventrals; 13 - Longitudinal dorsal scale rows at Ege University, Turkey (ZDEU). mid-trunk (between ventrals no. 85-90); 14 - Sub- caudals; 15 - Rostrum height; 16 - Rostrum width; Materials: ZDEU 125/2006. Id, 17 - Distance between nostrils; 18 - Diameter of eyes; Nurdagi, Gaziantep, Turkey, 03.05.2006, leg. 1 19 - Pileus length; 20 - Pileus width; 21 - Head length; A. Avci, C. YILMAZ; ZDEU 163/2005. Id , 22 - Head width; 23 - Head height; 24 - Supraocular length; 25 - Frontal width; 26 - Frontal length; 4 km W of §ambayat, Adiyaman, Turkey, 27 -Anterior inframaxillar length; 28 - Posterior infra- 08.06.2005, leg. I. BARAN, Y. KUMLUTAS., Ç. maxillar length; 29 - Snout-vent length; 30 - Tail ILGAZ, A. Avci; ZDEU 169/2005. 1 juv., 3 km length; 31 - Internasal triangular (d) or trapezoid- 5 of Çelikhan, Adiyaman, Turkey, 09.06. shaped (t); 32 - Suture length of internasal much shorter (—), shorter (-), equal to (=) or longer (+) than 2005, leg. I. BARAN, Y. KUMLUTAS,, Ç. ILGAZ, prefrontal suture; 33 - Parietals shorter (-), equal to (=) A. Avci; ZDEU 181/2005. 1$, Cüngüs, or longer (+) than the distance from posterior tip of ros- Diyarbakir, Turkey, 11.06. 2005, leg. I. tral to the posterior tip of frontal; 34 - Pairs of lower BARAN, Y. KUMLUTAS, Ç. ILGAZ, A. Avci. labials in contact with anterior chin shields. The specimens were fixed in 5% form- aldehyde, preserved in 70% ethanol accord- ZDEU - Museum Number ing to BASOGLU & BARAN (1980). Color and 125/2006 163/2005 169/2005 181/2005 pattern characteristics of the specimens 1 Male Male Juvenile Female were recorded and color slides taken while 2 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 the specimens were still alive. The ventral 3 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 plates were counted using DOWLING'S 4 1/1 1-1 1-1 1-1 5 1/1 1-1 1-1 1-1 (1951) system. 6 Vi 1-1 2-2 1-1 For general aspect, color and pattern 7 7/8 8-7 7-7 7-7 features of the specimens see Fig. 2. Body 8 8/9 9-8 9-8 8-8 cylindrical; head small, not distinct from 9 10 10 11 11 neck; eyes small with round pupils; rostral 10 1 1 1 1 enlarged, extending backwards between 11 10 12 10 12 12 205 201 204 215 internasals; nostril in undivided nasal, lore- 13 15 15 15 15 al present or absent, dorsal scales smooth in 14 58 58 64 59 15 rows at mid-trunk (between ventrals no. 15 1.78 1.84 1.82 1.66 85-90); anal and subcaudals divided. The 16 2.10 2.18 2.26 2.46 pholidosis characters and morphometric 17 2.28 2.00 1.68 2.20 measurements of the specimens are given in 18 1.66 1.20 1.32 1.30 19 7.90 6.84 6.22 6.78 table 1. The top of the head is not uniform- 20 3.28 3.38 2.86 3.30 ly black but there are two black blotches and 21 9.64 9.48 8.40 8.06 there is a bigger black band across the neck 22 5.32 5.04 4.08 4.72 in our specimens. Also the color of the ros- 23 2.84 2.78 2.76 3.22 tral shield and supraoculars is ivory white. 24 0.80 0.72 0.66 0.62 The ground color of the dorsum is pinkish 25 2.16 2.20 2.00 2.18 26 2.62 2.48 2.18 2.02 without maculation. The black neck band 27 2.00 2.00 1.50 1.24 does not reach the ventral scales. The color 28 1.30 1.16 0.82 0.88 of the ventral side is more pinkish than the 29 341.48 279.28 193.56 276.80 dorsum. Regarding pholidosis characters, 30 68.36 58.46 43.36 56.92 morphometric measurements and color-pat- 31 d t t d tern features, the specimens examined in 32 (+) (-) (-) (-) this study are within the variation reported 33 (=) (=) (-) (=) 34 4/4 4/3 4/3 3/3 in the literature for R. m. satunini (REED & ©Österreichische Gesellschaft für Herpetologie e.V., Wien, Austria, download unter www.biologiezentrum.at

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Table 2 (left): Comparison of Rhynchocalamus melanocephalus saturimi (NIKOLSKY, 1899) specimens examined in the present study with the data given in ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ vo r- S2 2 _ _ the literature. 1 - Snout-vent length (mm); 2 - Total ONONONONONg^^ „OO length (mm); 3 - Dorsal scales at mid-trunk; 4 - Vent- rals; 5 - Subcaudals; 6 - Upper labials; 7 - Lower labials; 8 - Temporals; 9 - Preoculars; 10 - Postoculars; 11 - Internasal triangular (d) or trapezoid shaped (t); length of suture much shorter (—), shorter (-), equal to <<<<< (=) or longer (+) than prefrontal suture; 12 - parietals ÛÛÛÛÛ aLat. shorter (-), equal to (=) or longer (+) than the distance from posterior tip of rostral to posterior tip of frontal; 13 - pairs of lower labials in contact with anterior chin shields; — no data available.

MARX 1959; DAREVSKY 1970; GASPERETTI 1988; EISELT 1970; BARAN 1976; BAÇOGLU & BARAN 1980; BARAN & ATATÜR 1998; FRANZEN & BISCHOFF 1995; see table 2). The localities reported in this study extend the known range area of R. m. satunini in southeastern Anatolia. The specimens were found among small calcareous stones situated at the edge of a cultivated area and under small stones not far from the water. The time of collect- ing was between 09:00 - 12:00 at a temper- ature of 27 to 30°C. The sympatric amphib- ian and reptile fauna comprised Rana ridi- bunda PALLAS, 1771, Bufo (Pseudepidalea) OO OO OO ON 00 00 OO viridis (LAURENTI, 1768), Mauremys caspi- F^ So 05 OS ON ON OS ca (GMELIN, 1774), Testudo graeca LINNAE- US, 1758, Trapelus ruderatus (OLIVIER,

t— i— c-^ c— c— t— c— t— i 1805), Lacerta cappadocica F. WERNER, 1902, Lacerta media LANTZ & CYRÉN, 1920, Ophisops elegans MÉNÉTRIÉS, 1832, Eu- meces schneiden (DAUDIN, 1802), Mabuya aurata (LINNAEUS, 1758), Platyceps naja- dum (EICHWALD, 1831), Eirenis collaris (MÉNÉTRIÉS, 1832), Natrix tessellata (LAU- RENTI, 1768), Typhlops vermicularis MER- REM, 1820 and Leptotyphlops macrorhyn- chus(]\n, 1862). ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This work forms part of projects [Project No: TBAG-2407 (104T017) VO^O VOCS and Project No: TBAG-104T294] supported by — NO (N (N OO OO rn fi 1^« vo VO (N TÜBITAK (The Scientific and Technical Research ^ voSo Ç^ Council of Turkey). REFERENCES: BARAN, I. (1976): Tiirkiye yilan- OO OO VO O lannin taksonomik revizyonu ve cografì dagilisjan. */"> OO ^f CÌ ^5 CN Ci NO ^5 ON ON ON oo ON ^O ON — vo f> — Os rn vo [Taxonomic revision and geographical distribution of the snakes of Turkey].- TUBITAK Yayinlan, Ankara; 309: 1-177. BARAN, f. & ATATÜR, M. K. (1998): Turkish herpetofauna (Amphibians & Reptiles). Ankara (Republic of Turkey Ministry of Environment), 214 pp. BAÇOOLU, M. & BARAN, I. (1980): Türkiye Sürüngenleri Kisim II. Yilanlar [The reptiles of Turkey. Part II. The snakes].- Ege Üniversitesi Fen Fakiiltesi ©Österreichische Gesellschaft für Herpetologie e.V., Wien, Austria, download unter www.biologiezentrum.at

86 SHORT NOTE HERPETOZOA 20 (1/2) Wien, 30. Juli 2007 SHORT NOTE

Kitaplar Serisi, Bornova-izmir; 81:1-IX, 1-218. BODEN- First record of the snake Dendro- HEIMER, F. S. (1944): Introduction into the knowledge of the Amphibia and Reptilia of Turkey.- Rev. Fac. Sci. phidion bivittatus (DUMÉRIL, BIBRON Univ., Istanbul; (B) 9: 1-78. DAREVSKY, I. S. (1970): DUMÉRIL, Systematic status of Rhynchocalamus melanocephalus & 1854) and taxonomic satunini NIK. (Serpentes, Colubridae) previously remarks on the Genus in Ecuador included in the genus Oligodon- Zool. Zhurnal, Moskva; 49: 1685-1690. DOWLING, H. G (1951): A proposed standard of counting ventrals in snakes.- The Genus Dendrophidion FITZINGER, British J. Herpetol., London; 1: 97-99. EISELT, J. 1843 includes fast moving snakes of medi- (1970): Ergebnisse zoologischer Sammelreisen in der Türkei: Bemerkenswerte Funde von Reptilien, II.-Ann. um size and diurnal activity. At present, this Naturhist. Mus., Wien; 80: 803-814. ENGELMANN, W. genus is constituted by eight species distrib- E. & FRITSCHE, J. & GÜNTHER, R. & OBST, F. J. (1993): uted from Mexico over Middle America to Lurche und Kriechtiere Europas. Radebeul, Germany northern South America (PETERS & OREJAS- (Neumann), 440 pp. FRANZEN, M. & BISCHOFF, W. MIRANDA 1986; LIEB 1988; PÉREZ-SANTOS & (1995): Erstnachweis von Rhynchocalamus melanocephalus melanocephalus für die Türkei.- Salamandra, MORENO 1991). From Ecuador, four species Rheinbach; 31 (2): 107-122. GASPERETTI, J. (1988): are reported, namely D. brunneus (GÜN- Snakes of Arabia.- Fauna of Saudia Arabia, Berne, THER, 1858), D. nuchalis (PETERS, 1864) and Riyad; 9: 169-450. JAN, G. (1862): Enumerazione sis- (COPE, tematica degli ofidi apparenti al gruppo Coronellidae.- D. percarinatus 1863), in the west- Arch. Zool. Anat. Fisiol., Genova; 2 (2): 213-330. ern slopes, and D. dendrophis (SCHLEGEL, LATIFI, M. (1991): The snakes of Iran. Oxford (Society 1837) in the eastern slopes of the Andes for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles - SSAR), (ALMENDÂRIZ 1991; PÉREZ-SANTOS & MO- 159 pp. LEVITON, A. E. & ANDERSON, S. C. & ADLER, RENO COLOMA K. & MINTON, S. A. (1992): Handbook to Middle East 1991; et al. 2000). This in- amphibians and reptiles. Oxford (Society for the Study vestigation presents the first record of the of Amphibians and Reptiles - SSAR) [Contribution to species D. bivittatus (DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & Herpetology No. 8], 252 pp. OLGUN, K. & Ava, A. & DUMÉRIL, 1854) in Ecuador with a detailed ILGAZ, Ç. & ÜZÜM, N. & YILMAZ, C. (2007). A new species of Rhynchocalamus (Reptilia: Serpentes: description of the specimen. Colubridae) from Turkey.- Zootaxa, Auckland, New All the measurements of the individ- Zealand; 1399: 57-68. REED, C. & MARX, H. (1959): A ual collected were done using a metallic herpetological collection from northeastern Iraq.- Transact. Kansas Acad. Sci., Lawrence; 62: 91-122. rule. Comparisons with other species were SCHMIDT, K. P. (1933): A new snake {Rhynchocalamus based on direct observation and information arabicus) from Arabia.- Zoological Series of the Field in PETERS & OREJAS-MIRANDA (1986) and Museum of Natural History, Chicago; 20: 9-10. WER- PÉREZ-SANTOS & MORENO (1989b). All NER, F. (1906): Einige für Kleinasien neue Reptilien.- Zool. Anzeiger, Leipzig; 29: 411-413. WERNER, F. material here reported is deposited at the (1917): Reptilien aus Persien (Provinz Fars). Gesam- Fundación Herpetológica Gustavo Orcés melt von Prof. ANDREAS.- Verhandlungen Zool.-Bot. (FHGO). Ges., Wien; 67: 191-220. WERNER, Y. L. (1988): Her- Dendrophidion bivittatus (DUMÉRIL, petofaunal survey of Israel (1950-1985), with com- ments on Sinai and Jordan and on zoogeographical het- BIBRON & DUMÉRIL, 1854) previously has erogeneity; pp. 355-388. In: YOM-TOV, Y. & TCHERNOV, been reported in highlands of Colombia and E. (eds.): The zoogeography of Israel. Dordrecht, the Darién, Panama (PETERS & OREJAS- Netherlands. (W. Junk Pubi), ISBN 90-6193-650-0. MIRANDA 1986; PÉREZ-SANTOS & MORENO KEY WORDS: Reptilia: Squamata: Ophidia: 1989a). In Ecuador, the checklists of rep- Colubridae: Rhynchocalamus melanocephalus satu- tiles of PETERS (1960) and MIYATA (1982) nini, morphology, pholidosis, distribution, Türkiye include D. bivittatus without certain evi- SUBMITTED: January 4, 2007 dence of specimens. Later, the taxonomic AUTHORS: Res. Ass. Aziz Avci, Adnan Men- review by LIEB (1988), excludes this snake deres University, Faculty of Science and Arts, Depart- ment of Biology, Aydin, Turkey < [email protected] >; as did all other checklists published up to Çetin ILGAZ, PhD., Dokuz Eylül University, Fauna and date (MIYATA 1982; PETERS & OREJAS- Flora Research and Application Center, Buca-Izmir, MIRANDA 1986; PÉREZ-SANTOS & MORENO Turkey < [email protected] >; Prof. Yusuf KUMLU- 1989a; ALMENDÂRIZ 1991; COLOMA et al. TAS, PhD., Dokuz Eylül University, Faculty of Education, Department of Biology, Buca-Izmir, Turkey < yusuf. 2000). Herein, we report on an individual [email protected] >; Prof. Kurtulus, OLGUN, PhD., (FHGO 5461) collected in the zone of Intag, Adnan Menderes University, Faculty of Science and Arts, parish Selva Alegre, canton Otavalo, Pro- Department of Biology, Aydin, Turkey < kolgun@ vince of Imbabura (00°16'01" N, 78°35' adu.edu.tr >; Prof. Ibrahim BARAN, PhD. Dokuz Eylül University, Faculty of Education, Department of Biology, 24" W, ca. 1700 m a.s.l., Fig. 1), on March Buca-Yzmir-Türkiye < baran 1940@ yahoo.com > 16, 2006, at about 12:00. The site was a